Sudan govt: ‘Sustain Juba peace talks despite Covid-19 restrictions’

The Sudanese government negotiating delegation at the Juba peace talks, headed by Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, seeks to continue the peace talks with the armed movements despite the coronavirus contact restrictions that make direct dialogue impossible.

Mohamed El Taayshi, member of the Sovereign Council and spokesman for the negotiating delegation, said yesterday that the government is ready to finish all pending issues. The government delegation will communicate its position on these issues to the South Sudanese mediation team today.

El Taayshi said that the government, the Sovereign Council, and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the peace process, the economic crisis, the appointment of civilian governors, and the formation of a transitional parliament for the three year transitional period.

They agreed on a matrix detailing responsibilities and setting timetables in seven key areas: establishing partnerships, reaching peace, dealing with the economic crisis, dismantling the ousted Al Bashir regime, and reforming the military and security apparatus, justice, and foreign relations. This must all be accomplished before the second week of May.

The forces that signed the Declaration of Freedom and Change in January 2019, civil society organisations, and activists welcomed the matrix.

El Taayshi emphasised that the peace negotiations with the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz El Hilu in South Kordofan, and the mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur must be finished soon.

“It has become necessary to fill the administrative vacuum that the country suffers from. This is not in conflict with reaching a peace agreement,” he claimed.

In a joint statement which was read out at Press Forum of Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Saturday evening, the Sovereign Council, Council of Ministers and FFC reaffirmed the importance of boosting confidence and work between the three components of the transitional authority. The three parties agreed on the formation of joint mechanisms to follow up the implementation of the matrix, observation and assessment to guarantee carrying out urgent tasks of the transitional period which have been stalled.

The statement tackled, in detail and analysis, crises which are hitting the country as well as the security, economic, health, and political threats facing Sudan.

It stated that the tripartite meeting came out with important decisions on expediting completion of the transitional authority structures, formation of an emergency economic committee to handle the living difficulties, confront remnants of the defunct regime, and strictly implement the necessary measures and fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week, the Sudanese government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance agreed to extend the negotiations period to May 9.

Minni Minawi

The Sudan Liberation Movement faction headed by Minni Minawi has renewed the leadership of Minawi at a General Meeting last week. The rebel group stays committed to a comprehensive peace that establishes equal citizenship for all Sudanese, and guarantees that war will not return.

After extensive discussions about the leadership, the movement made a number of decisions with regard to the peace process and political alliances, Nour Taha, the movement’s information secretary, reported.

He did not disclose the content of these decisions. The leadership council will forward directives to the movement’s institutions, and to its negotiating delegation in Juba.

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